Brett Vito: Win over Cajuns boosted chances

University of North Texas senior wide receiver Ivan Delgado (10) looks ahead after making a catch against University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Tuesday, October 16, 2012, at Apogee Stadium in Denton, TX.

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Denton Record-Chronicle

Published: 21 October 2012 11:38 PM

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Brett Vito

Knowing Dan McCarney, he probably spent
the weekend hunkered down in a film room somewhere.

A Saturday off? There is no such thing
in college football, even when that’s what it says on the schedule.

You couldn’t have blamed North Texas’
head coach if he did get in a little rest and relaxation, though, especially
after the Mean Green posted arguably the biggest win of his short tenure
Tuesday.

Louisiana-Lafayette might not be a
household name like Indiana, a team UNT beat last season in its headline win of
the year.

ULL is better, though. A lot better.

That’s what made a 30-23 victory so big
for UNT. Well, that and the fact that the win essentially saved the Mean
Green’s season and unfolded in front of a national television audience on
ESPN2.

Beating the Ragin’ Cajuns gave UNT even
more motivation to prepare for Saturday’s game at Middle Tennessee, not to
mention watch what went on across the Sun Belt over the weekend.

UNT is sitting at 3-4 overall and suddenly
is very much alive in the chase for the Sun Belt title and the race to six wins
— the magic mark to become bowl-eligible, a milestone UNT hasn’t reached since
2004.

So what did the weekend’s games tell us
about UNT’s chances? The Mean Green has a shot, but it’s not going to be easy.

Of course, McCarney and his players
already knew that. The Sun Belt isn’t what it used to be.

“It has to be as good as it has ever
been in the Sun Belt,” McCarney said before facing the Ragin’ Cajuns. “I had
coached against Sun Belt teams but had never been a head coach in the league.
From being inside the league now, this has to be the best it has ever been.

“We hope to be a real factor in the race
as the season goes on.”

UNT has a chance now, thanks to its win
over the Ragin’ Cajuns.

At 2-1 in league play, the Mean Green is
only a game behind Louisiana-Monroe, the last unbeaten team in the Sun Belt at
3-0. UNT will face the Warhawks in Monroe on Nov. 17.

Win out, and the Mean Green wins at
least a share of the title.

That will be a tough goal to attain, but
winning three more games to hit the .500 mark and be bowl-eligible is starting
to look more realistic.

The Mean Green went 3-2 down the stretch
last season. Just don’t expect a repeat to be as simple as it sounds.

UNT beat ULM, Troy and MTSU to close
last year with losses to Arkansas State and Western Kentucky coming between
those wins. MTSU finished 2-10, Troy 3-9 and ULM 4-8.

There aren’t many struggling teams left
for UNT to pick on this year.

After facing the Blue Raiders on the
road Saturday, the Mean Green comes home to face ASU and South Alabama before
closing at ULM and WKU.

That is where the change in the stature
of the Sun Belt comes into play. There is just one team in that batch that
doesn’t have a winning record at this point, and that’s USA, which is still in
the process of moving up from the FCS level.

ULM has a clear shot at the Sun Belt
title after coming back to knock off WKU in overtime Saturday to improve to
5-2. The Warhawks have already beaten Arkansas, taken Auburn to overtime and
given Baylor a scare.

WKU won’t be a pushover, either. The
Hilltoppers have a win over Kentucky on their resume.

ASU doesn’t have a big win yet this
season, but has won two straight heading into a game against ULL on Tuesday and
is still loaded with the talent that made the Red Wolves one of the preseason
favorites in the Sun Belt.

The difference now is those games don’t
look like as big of a reach as they did before the Mean Green beat the Ragin’
Cajuns in a momentum-building win.

“We wanted to showcase this university
and showcase this football team,” UNT quarterback Derek Thompson said after
Tuesday’s game. “We dug down deep and did it.”

UNT opened up a world of possibilities
in the process.

“We beat a good football team tonight,”
McCarney said after the game. “I thought we grew up.”

A tough slate of games down the stretch
will show whether UNT has grown into a bowl-level team.

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